The present invention relates to an animal crate, and more particularly to an animal crate assembly useful for containing animals and which is capable of collapsing into a compact position.
Animal crates and the like are popular for pet owners to purchase for housing their domestic pet. The cage can allow the pet owner to enjoy their pet while also maintaining the pet in an enclosed and controlled environment. Cages or other similar enclosures can be made from a variety of materials such as plastic, iron, steel, wood, aluminum, woven fabric, etc. The material from which the cage is made can depend on whether the cage is primarily used indoors or outdoors. In any event, pet owners want cages to be durable so that animals enclosed within the cage cannot escape and animals outside the cage cannot enter.
Cages also can include multiple functions in addition to providing a safe enclosure for the pet. For example, the cage can provide a sanitary environment for the pet, and in some instances where more than one pet is contained within the same cage, the cage can include structure for dividing the interior thereof for separating multiple pets. Also, some cages can be easily transportable. For instance, in U.S. Publication Ser. No. 2007/0277745, a containment system is described as being collapsible for storage. Other similar cages can include a handle or other device for transporting the cage.
Unfortunately, most cages can be difficult for a layperson to assemble and setup. Some cages cannot be collapsed and thus are difficult to transport, particularly those cages that are ideal for containing large animals.
Therefore, a need exists for a collapsible animal crate assembly capable of easily being assembled and collapsed for transport.